HISTORY TIP OF THE DAY

Klamath Lake Massacre, May 11, 1846

John C. Frémont’s third expedition left St. Louis in 1845 and made its way to Klamath, Oregon. As the party slept, Indians crept into the camp and killed Kit Carson’s friend Basil Lajeunesse with a single hatchet blow to the head. Two other of Frémont’s men are also killed. Carson leads a retaliatory attack on a Klamath tribe fishing village where 150 braves live. By the end of the day, most of the Indians had been killed and the village burned to the ground. Later it was discovered that the tribe probably had not been involved in the initial attack.

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for Bill O' Reilly author alerts from Macmillan Publishers with updates and other information about Macmillan Publishers’ books, products and services that may be of interest to you. You can withdraw your consent at any time. See Macmillan Privacy Notice. Contact Us.